Kwamoso (E/R), March 07, GNA - Dr Eugenia Dankwa Quist, the acting Akuapem North District Chief Executive, has advised residents of the district to take advantage of the opportunities in the area to increase their wealth.

She said the Akuapem area has many resources and people need not talk about poverty. ''It is only lazy people who keep complaining of poverty.''

Dr Quist was speaking at the 10th anniversary and fund raising programme in aid of provision of electricity to the residents of the Habitat for Humanity Project (HHP) estates at Kwamoso on Saturday. She urged the owners of the houses to regularly honour their monthly obligation of payment of the cost of one bag of cement to enable the project to provide more decent houses to others.

Nana Kwame Donkor Kissiedu, Akrahene of Akuapem Traditional Area and Chief of Kwamoso, appealed to the HHP to support the provision of good educational infrastructure to the people of Kwamoso. He urged residents of Kwamoso to place high priority on the education of their children so that children from the community could be adequately prepared for the future.

Dr King David Amoah, the former National Director of the HHP, urged the government to collaborate with the HHP in its programme of provision of affordable housing for the poor.

Ms Dorothy Prah, Programme Manager of HHP, said HHP has built over 4,000 houses since it was started in 1987 in 120 communities in eight regions of the country.

Mr Kofi Fofie, the National Partner of the HHP, said the HHP had invested 664 million cedis into the Akuapem Affiliate project, providing 172 houses since 1994.

An appeal for funds in aid of the electrification project yielded 13 million cedis in cash.